Paris 2024 Olympics - Fencing - Men's Sabre Team Gold Medal Match - Grand Palais, Paris, France - July 31, 2024. Team South Korea celebrate after winning gold medal against Team Hungary. REUTERS/Maye-E Wong
PARIS (Reuters) -Reigning champions South Korea left almost no room for suspense in the men's sabre team event, beating Hungary and winning their third consecutive title at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
Already crowned on Saturday in the individual event, Oh Sang-uk delivered the coup de grace in a 45-41 win against the 2023 world champions.
The final bout was at first a tight one, until South Korea's Do Gyeong-dong gave his team the upper hand by scoring 5-0 against Krisztian Rabb.
"I cried when I realised, because I could feel all the hardships that I got through," said 24-year-old Do. "I feel so happy."
Hungary were unable to recover despite Aron Szilagyi's very best efforts, scoring eight touches against Oh, who was less fiery on the piste than in previous bouts.
It confirmed South Korea's dominance in the event, after they were beaten by Hungary in the final at the 2023 World Championships. The world number ones were the world champions in 2022, 2019, 2018 and 2017.
"We felt that we had a chance to win the final, we were close," a disappointed Szilagyi told reporters.
"But at the end in the last three matches, the Koreans made it clear that they are the best in the world.
"I'm very proud of my team, we really gave everything and we had nothing left to give."
France claimed the bronze, beating Iran by a comfortable 45-25 after being eliminated by South Korea in the semi-finals 45-39.
Iran caused the biggest upset of the day by eliminating the second-ranked United States in the quarter-finals 45-44.
"Honestly, it's tough," U.S. team captain Eli Dershwitz told reporters. "I went into the last leg with the lead. I couldn't put it all together at the right time."
(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Toby Davis)
